Flushing-tank.



PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908.

L. G. LBFFER. FLUSHING TANK.

APPLICATION FILED rm. 20, 1901.

. R/VEYZ WITNESSES:

LOUIS GEORG LEFF'ER, OF OOLOGNF-LINDENTHAL, GERMANY.

FLUSHING-TANK.

Application filed February 20, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis Gnome LEFFER, engineer, subject ol the GermanEmperor, residing at Cologne-Limlenthal, Rhenish Prussia, and Empire ofGermany, have invented a new and useful Improvement in F lushing- Tanks,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a flushing tank in which outlet valves areentirely dispensed. with, but which at the same time is provided withmeans preventing waste of the water, the arrangement being such that thetank cannot be completely emptied a second time until it has becomecompletely lilled again. There is employed a float and a flexible siphontube or pipe that may be coupled to this float. Assuming the tank to befilled. and the coupling parts disconnected, the free end of theflexible tube or pipe will immediately sink down to and upon the bottomof the tank, the whole tube or pipe being there by turned into a siphonwhich now in its turn empties the tank. As soonas the slowly sinkingfloat that -falls with the level oi the water, has reached the free endof theoutlettube or siphon, the coupling parts automatically reengageand as at the same time, owing to the inlet-valve having been opened bythe sinking float, water flows into the tank, the .float begins to riseand takes the flexible tube with :it. When the .float has reached. itsformer high position, the coupling device is in'coaction with releasingmechanism, the inlet-valve closes automatically, and then the tank isagain ready for :lurther use.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section throughone .l'orm of construction of the improved flushing-tank, showing saidtank ililled and the apparatus ready for use. Fig. 2 shows the tanknearly emptied, the longer arm of the flexible tube orpip'e, 'i. e. ofthe siphon, being supported by the bottom of the tank and thecouplingparts just about to reengage with each other. Fig. 3 is a Viewsimilar to Fig. 1, but showing a modified form of construction.

The tank .9 has an outletf formed by one end of the .flexible pipe I).This portion of the pipe, from the outletf to about the point e, ishowever, not flexible, but rigid, and the whole pipe may, therefore, ifdesired, consist of two pieces connected at e in any manner appropriateto the purpose. It is thus sulli- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 1908.

Serial No. 358,339.

cient if the two rigid portions of the pipe are connected by a piece offlexible tube, a piece o'l' india rubber hose, or the like. Near to itsfree end, the pipe I) has a yielding hook d adapted to engage over, andbe supported by a rigid hook /t secured to the float (1 The hook (1,however, may be rigid and the hook it may be yielding, or even both maybe yielding, or any other suitable coupling for the float a and the pipeI) may be employed.

The coupling formed by the hooks (I and It may be broken by means of adrawrod 0 when the float is in its highest position, for the'hook (Iwill then be in such a position that it can be actuated by said rod. Thefloat a is secured to a bar g, and connected by the same with abell-crank lever 'i provided at one end with a valve i for theinlet-pipe lr. Assuming the tank ilillcd and the parts as disclosed inFig. 1, the pipe (2 will be empty, inasmuch as a portion o'l" it isabove the level of the water, as illustrated. It now, the drawrod 0 ismoved outwardly, the hook (I will be disengaged from the hook 7t and thepipe will drop to the bottom of the tank. immediately a siphonic actionwill take place, and inasmuch as the water permitted to flow into thetank is less than that which will discharge therefrom in a given time,the discharge of the water will continue until the tank is emptied, andthe siphon broken. As the level of the water falls, the float will movedownwardly with it, and as a consequence the supply valve '5 will open,permitting. an inflow of water. When the level of the water in the tankis sufliciently low, the hook or kee mi 72 will reengage the latch orhook (Z as will be evident by reference to Fig. 2, and consequently assoon as the siphon is broken and the tank begins to flll, the float willcarry the inlet end ol the pipe (Z up with it, preventing any outflowtherethrough. The parts will consequently .reassume their originalposition, and in this connection, it will be noted that the tank cannotbe again operated until entirely relilled.

In the form ol COIlStl'LIClLlOR shown in Fig. 3, the rigid or elastichook lb 01'' the before-described form is replaced by an oscillatinghook 7r supported by an arm 70' flxed to the float, and the hook (Z ofsaid other form is replaced by a hook d adapted to take over, and besupported by, said hook W. The coupling thus formed may also in thiscase be broken by a draw-rod c whereupon the action will be exactly thesame as that before described.

Having now described my invention what I desire to secure by a Patent ofthe United States is:

1. In a flushing-tank, the combination of the tank; a float adapted tobe lowered. and raised by the water in the tank; an inletvalve; aconnection between this valve and said float; an outlet-pipe, one end ofwhich is fixed to the tank and the other end of which is adapted to belowered or raised inside the tank; means for automatically coupling thisend of said pipeto the float, and means for breaking this coupling.

2. In a flushing-tank, the combination of the tank; a float adapted tobe lowered and raised by the water in the tank; an inletvalve, aconnection between this valve and said float; a flexible outlet-pipe,one end of which is fixed to the tank and. the other end of which isadapted to be lowered or raised inside the tank; means for automaticallycoupling this end of said pipe to the float, and means for breaking thiscoupling 3. In a flushing-tank, the combination of the tank; a floatadapted to be lowered and raised by the water in the tank; aninletvalve; a connection between this valve and said float; anoutlet-pipe, one end of which is fixed to the tank and the other end ofwhich is adapted to be lowered or raised inside the tank; a hookattached to this portion of said pipe; another hook attached. to thefloat and adapted to be automatically coupled with, and to be positivelydisconnected from, the first-mentioned hook, and means for thusactuating said second hook.

4. In a flushing-tank, the combination of the tank; a float adapted tobe lowered and raised by the water in the tank; an inletvalve; aconnection between this valve and said float; a flexible outlet-pipe,one arm of which is fixed to the tank and. the other arm of which isadapted to be dropped inside the tank and to be raised by the float;means for automatically coupling said latter arm to said float, andmeans for breaking said coupling.

5. In a flushing-tank, the combination of the tank; a float adapted tobe lowered and raised by the water in the tank; an inletvalve; aconnection between this valve and. said float; a flexible outlet-pipe,one arm of which is fixed to the tank and the other arm of which isadapted to be dropped inside the tank and to be raised by the float; ahook attached to the movable arm of said pipe; another hook attached tothe float and adapted to be automatically coupled with, and to be saidsecond hook.

6. In a flushing-tank, the combination of the tank; a float adapted tobe lowered and raised by the water in the tank; an inletvalve; aconnection between this valveand said float; an outlet-pipe, one end ofwhich is fixed to the tank and the other end of which is adapted to belowered or raised inside the tank; an elastic hook attached to this portion of said. pipe; a rigid hook attached to the float and. adapted tobe automatically coupled with said elastic hook and to support the same,and means for making the elastic hook loose its support, for the purposeset forth.

7. In a flushing-tank, the combination of the tank; a float adapted tobe lowered and raised by the water in the tank; aninletvalve; aconnection between this valve and said float; a flexible outlet-pi e,one arm of which is fixed to the tank ant the other arm of which isadapted to be dropped inside the tank and to be raised by the float; anelastic hook attached to the movable arm of said pipe; a rigid hookattached. to the float and adapted to support said other hook with itspipe; and means for making the said other hook leave the first-mentionedhook, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a tank, of a discharge pipe having an inlet endmovable to diflerent heights within the tank, and a float in the tankhaving detachable connections with said inlet end for raising it andpermit ting it to lower to permit the discharge from the tank throughsaid pipe.

9. The combination with a tank, of a discharge pipe having an inlet endmovable to diflerent heights within the tank, a float located in thetank, detachable connections between the float and movable pipe, andmeans for detaching the pipe from the float to permit the former to dropand thereby allow the discharge from the tank therethrough.

10. The combination with a tank, of a discharge pipe having an inlet endmovable to diflerent heights within the tank, a swinging arm in thetank, a float carried by the arm, a latch connection between the floatand pipe, and means for operating the latch to release the pipe from thefloat when the same are in their raised. positions.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have heretoaflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Bnssm F. DUNLAP, LoUIs VANnonN.

